The Sun prints an attack on free speech

Organizers of the Maryland Conservative Action Network conference (Turning the Tides 2013) were profoundly disappointed that The Sun ran an attack on our conference and our speakers on the very morning of our conference ("The tide of Islamophobia," Jan. 12).

You did a huge disservice to your readers by posting this polemic in a complete vacuum and without an opportunity for response from those, especially Pamela Geller, whose characters were impugned by a writer with an obvious ax to grind. But perhaps we should be grateful because, in fact, by printing the opinion of Zainab Chaudry as you did with its inflammatory title, you demonstrated exactly the point Ms. Geller made to an audience of over 270 in Annapolis that morning.

Her presentation was on free speech and included a discussion of media bias (or even blackout) against anyone who would question the bullying and name-calling tactics of Islamists, such as those associated with CAIR (Council on American-Islamic Relations).

The Sun has never had any interest in writing a legitimate news story about this conference, or any of our previous conferences. The MD CAN conference is now the largest gathering in the state of Maryland of tea party-minded people, Libertarians, Republicans, independents, and even some Democrats! We gave the registrants an opportunity to hear from state and national experts. In addition to Ms. Geller's "in defense of free speech" address, we presented experts on such wide-ranging issues as national security, immigration, health care, property rights, energy and the environment, etc. and we were especially proud of our panel on the "cheated generation" in which young people discussed the economic and educational policies that affect their generation.

Ann Corcoran

The writer is a co-founder of the Maryland Conservative Action Network.